


i don't know how this river runs

by abbeghoul



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: (except fuck bertie lives), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Burns, Explosions, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Major Character Injury, Pining, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-07 23:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21226316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbeghoul/pseuds/abbeghoul
Summary: Zolf and Azu have a big trip planned. They're going to meettheHarrison Campbell, and this time, Zolf hopes it'll be much smoother sailing. An unfortunate accident in Cel's lab changes that.





	i don't know how this river runs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blacksatinpointeshoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacksatinpointeshoes/gifts).

> Happy very belated birthday, Connor!!
> 
> For their birthday, Connor asked me to give Zolf nice things but make him hurt first, and, well, this got away from me. 
> 
> Title from [ Grow As We Go by Ben Platt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDeNQNtW1f8)

“Hey, Cel?” Zolf called, walking through the door of their workshop. “I brought lunch!”

Zolf coughed as he entered the room, his lungs filling with smoke.

“Just a second!” Cel called, seemingly from behind a cloud of dark purple smoke. Zolf didn’t know much about alchemy, but that didn’t _ seem _ normal.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, why? Oh, the smoke? That’s pretty normal, honestly, and it’s not even what I was hoping for,” they replied in their almost-too-quick-to-follow way.

Zolf was almost hesitant to ask. “What _ were _ you hoping for?”

Cel’s face finally appeared as the smoke dissipated- or, well, a mask and goggles that their face was behind. “I’m trying to find a way to perfectly time a delayed detonation. This didn’t work, clearly, since all the components turned into gas instead of exploding.”

“But those gases are-“

“Oh, highly flammable, but don’t worry, this place has an air filter system and it should clear those away soon.”

Zolf eyed the lingering purple smoke he could see in the air. “How soon?”

“Soon enough,” they said with a grin. “Lunch?”

Zolf hesitated but eventually shrugged and sat down at one of the less cluttered work benches, then took the sandwiches out of the container. If nothing had exploded by now it was probably fine, right?

“So, are you all packed?” Cel asked, mouth full of food.

“Not yet,” Zolf said, biting into his own sandwich. He’d been packing for weeks. He didn’t even have that many clothes to choose from, but- this was important.

Zolf and Azu were going to the book release party for Harrison Campbell’s new novel in Edinburgh. _ Heart to Starboard _was going to be his first novel since the infection was defeated, and that meant Zolf and Azu could finally take the time to travel to see him.

Zolf had met Campbell before, of course, but it had largely involved him chasing Bertie to stop him from chasing Campbell, and Zolf wasn’t sure that impression was the best building block for any future interactions. At the very least, though, he thought he should apologize for that trip, and express his gratitude and love for his novels.

Unfortunately for Zolf, as he opened his mouth to explain that he couldn’t decide what he should wear, and was considering asking Hamid for help shopping for a new suit, there was a loud noise and he and Cel fell to the floor as his world went black.

  
  
  


Six hours later, he woke up on an uncomfortable cot in an unfamiliar temple. _ Shit _. His whole body ached, and his arms were burning.

“What were you _ thinking? _” a high-pitched voice screeched. Zolf winced. Apparently he also had a headache.

“Look, I thought if it didn’t explode when I set it to, it was fine!”

“_ Fine? _ He’s _ covered in chemical burns!” _ The voice Zolf now recognized as Hamid’s was getting louder and Zolf let out a soft groan.

“Alright, mate?” Zolf turned his head to his right to see Sasha sitting on the back of a wooden chair, peering down at him. She’d spoken quietly, but it had still drawn the attention of the other people in the room.

“Zolf!” Hamid rushed over to his bedside. “You’re awake! Thank the gods. Are you okay?”

“’M fine,” he mumbled, gritting his teeth.

“No, you’re not,” Grizzop said from the corner of the room. “You’re covered in burns and you broke multiple ribs slamming into the wall from the blast.”

“It’s _ fine. _” Zolf tried to sit up but collapsed almost immediately from the pain. Fuck, Grizzop was right. He had broken at least one of his ribs. He took a minute to breathe through the pain, then opened his eyes again and assessed his injuries. His hands were still burning, and his arms were covered in gauze up to his biceps. He looked for his legs and found them propped up against the side of his hospital bed.

_ Shit. _

“Why ‘m I covered in gauze?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“The clerics here thought some of the wounds would respond better to long-term care, rather than a bunch of quick spells,” Azu said.

“Why?” Zolf groaned. “Long-term care” meant a long time spent in this bed.

“Well, some of the chemicals that came in contact with your skin were- well, let’s just say they’re still active, hence why you’re still in pain, despite the number of healing spells the clerics used. They had to avoid certain areas so your skin wouldn’t close over them. It requires regular cleaning and healing.”

“How long am I supposed to be here, then? Three days? Four?”

Azu looked desperately at Hamid for help and Zolf felt something drop in his stomach.

“Well, you see, Zolf,” Hamid began, reaching out to put his hand on his shoulder before thinking the better of it. “The healers here think it would be best if, well-“

“You have to stay for at least 10 days,” Grizzop interrupted.

“_ Ten days? _ ” It was worse than Zolf had imagined. Ten days of constantly having to deal with clerics of- what temple was this, anyway? Ten days being bedridden, unable to do anything other than put up with people caring for him. Ten days of- _ wait. Oh, no. _

“No, no, it can’t be ten days,” he said, begging Grizzop to take it back. “I have to be in Edinburgh in six. I’ll be fine by then.”

Hamid bit his lip and wouldn’t meet Zolf’s gaze, and he knew he was right. There was no way the wounds covering almost all of Zolf’s body would be healed in time to get to Edinburgh for the book launch. Zolf felt hot tears fill his eyes and he raged at them. _ No. No, he wouldn’t cry over this. Not in this room, in front of his friends. _

“I’m sorry, Zolf,” Azu said sadly. “We’ll catch him next time. I heard he’s already working on his next novel! We can just go then.”

“No.” Zolf shook his head. “No, you have to go to this one, Azu. I’ll- I’ll just stay here, I guess, but you shouldn’t miss out just because I can’t go.”

“I won’t go _ alone _,” she protested. “It was supposed to be a fun trip for both of us.”

“Take Sasha,” he said, closing his eyes. He was getting more and more drained. “She likes Campbell.”

“_ Really? _” Azu asked, bewildered. She looked towards Sasha, her eyebrows raised. “I didn’t know you liked romance novels.”

“I don’t,” Sasha said, still looking at Zolf worriedly, and he supposed that was fair. The last time he’d gotten emotional about Harrison Campbell- well, “breakdown” would have been putting it mildly.

“Really, Azu, it’s fine,” he insisted. “Go have fun in Edinburgh without me. Just- pick me up a copy will you? I don’t think the book will be shipped here for months.”

“Of _ course _ I will.” Azu looked at Sasha again. “That is- if you want to come.”

Sasha leaned forward from her position on the chair. “You sure you’re gonna be alright, boss? I wouldn’t want to leave you behind only for a bunch of bloodthirsty clerics to kill you while I’m not here to throw daggers at them.”

Zolf chuckled and then winced. Definitely at least two broken ribs. “I’m sure. Besides, I won’t exactly be alone.” His eyes flickerd to Hamid, Grizzop and Cel, the latter of whom had been unconventionally quiet for them.

“Right!” Hamid straightened his shoulders. “You won’t! We’ll be here the whole time.”

Azu still looked uncertain but she nodded anyways.

Someone cleared their throat, and Zolf turned to see a human dressed in a plain red robe with a small, golden symbol woven into the chest.. “I’m glad to see you’re awake, Mr. Smith. My name is Anya. I’d like to speak with you in private for a moment, if you friends wouldn’t mind leaving?”

Her voice and words were kind, but her eyes said she was used to making families follow her orders for the sake of her patients, and even Zolf’s friends weren’t going to disobey. Zolf nodded and one by one his friends started moving out of the room. Azu leaned in for a hug before realized just how bad an idea that was and instead patting Zolf on the head a couple times. Hamid looked like he _ was _ going to hug Zolf, but Sasha grabbed him and led him away with a nod towards Zolf, and Grizzop followed them out. Cel was the last one to leave the room.

“I’m really sorry, buddy,” Cel said. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. I haven’t had any slow-acting explosions in a while.” Zolf took in Cel’s appearance and noticed that, aside from a few rips in their clothes, they didn’t seem to have any damage. Zolf must have taken the brunt of the blast, then.

“It’s fine, Cel, honestly. Just- be more careful, okay? And- maybe next time, we’ll eat lunch outside of the lab?”

Cel grinned. “You got it, buddy!” They leaned over and kissed Zolf on the forehead with a loud _ smack _ and then followed everyone else out into the hallway, leaving him alone with the cleric.

As she moved towards him, the symbol on her robe became clearer. It was a depiction of fire inside a golden circle. _ Hestia, _he thought, grateful that if he was to spend ten days in a temple that wasn’t his own, at least he would be with a more sensible group of people than most.

“I’m just going to give you a rundown of your treatment regimen and then I’ll go ahead and do a quick rinse and change your bandages,” she said and Zolf sighed. He was in for a _ really _ long stay.

  
  
  


His friends, it seemed, were not going to let that stay be at all _ restful _, though. The only time Zolf was ever alone was when he was asleep- and he’s not entirely sure Hamid wasn’t keeping a bedside vigil through the night. Not, he supposed, that he was complaining. There wasn’t much to do when you’re bedridden and you can’t use your hands because they’re trapped in gauze, so at least the company kept him occupied.

Hamid offered to play chess with him and let Zolf dictate where he wanted his pieces moved, which was kind enough, but it turns out the rules Zolf had learned from Feryn and those Hamid had learned from who knows what secret boys club were about as different as you could get.

“What do you _ mean _ you want to _ throw your ring at the king? _” Hamid asked incredulously.

“What do you mean what do I mean? It’s how you win the game! You throw a ring at the king once you get all of your pieces off the back line and if it lands like a crown you win! Actually, on second thought, Sasha would you mind doing it? You’ve got better aim-”

“_ What? _ ” Zolf had never seen Hamid look so scandalized. “ _ No, _ you win by trapping the king so it can’t move!”

“Says who?”

“Says _ everyone! _”

“This way sounds more fun,” Sasha said, grabbing Zolf’s ring off the counter next to his bed and scrutinizing the board, preparing to aim and fire. “Just has to land around his head?”

“Yeah, but if you get it right side up you don’t have to do chores for three days- or, well, something like that.” Zolf flushed.

“Chores?” Sasha asked.

“Yeah, like… dishes or cleaning or whatever.”

“Wait, if I get this, Hamid has to do our cleaning?” Sasha grinned. “Alright, sure.” She took aim and released the ring. It landed right side up, with the emblem on the ring facing the front. Zolf and Sasha let out a collective cheer. “Hah! Now maybe that blood will come out of my jacket. Cheers, Hamid!”

“Now, wait a second-“

“Sorry, Hamid, those are the rules,” Zolf grinned. Hamid opened his mouth to protest but his gaze caught Zolf’s and his face softened into a smile.

“Well,” he said. “Maybe I can just hire someone. Although, honestly, Sasha, the amount of blood on that jacket, really you should just get a new one.”

Sasha cradled her arms protectively over her chest like Hamid was going to rip it off her. “No!”

“No, I just meant-“ Hamid sighed, accepting the lost battle. “Never mind.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Azu said, walking in the room. “Einstein’s waiting for us outside, Sasha.”

Zolf sobered up quickly. _ Right. _

Sasha shot an apologetic look at Zolf. “Um,” she started. “Is- is there anything you want me to do? While I’m there?”

Zolf thought about the half-written letter addressed to Campbell he’d drafted a hundred times but never been able to finish because he’d ended up here and sighed. “No, that’s okay. Just have fun and be safe.” He flashed them both a small smile and then looked down at his lap as they exited the room, only to feel a small hand pat his shoulder twice then move away as Sasha walked out and his smile grew a bit more genuine.

“Well,” Hamid said. “Maybe we could try playing chess the right way now? I’ll bet you two days of cleaning.”

“We already _ did _ play the right way,” Zolf insisted. “You’re just a sore loser because I won.”

“You mean _ Sasha _ won,” Hamid grinned. “You wouldn’t have won _ any _ version without her. She’s got better aim than either of us.”

Zolf laughed. “Well, how does your version work, then?”

Hamid walked Zolf through the rules of “proper chess,” and, honestly, Zolf thought Feryn’s version was much more fun, but learning it gave him something to do, at least.

Hamid noticed Zolf’s lack of enthusiasm. “I’m sorry, Zolf, is there- Can I do anything? Get you anything?”

What Zolf wanted was to be in Edinburgh on the way to a book release.

“I know- I’m sorry. What if I- well, I could bring you a couple of his books?”

_ Oops. _ Zolf hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud. “No, I wouldn’t be able to hold them to read them anyways.”

Hamid frowned and leaned over to place his hand on Zolf’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry, Zolf. I know how much Campbell and his books mean to you.”

“Yeah, well, it’s just bad timing, I guess,” he sighed. “I’m fine, honestly. I’m- I’m glad you’re here, Hamid. It’d be a boring ten days without you here to- to keep me company.”

Hamid looked inordinately pleased. “I’m glad I’m here too. I mean- not that I’m glad we’re _ here, _ but- I do like spending time with you.”

Zolf flushed and cleared his throat. “Um-“

He was saved by Cel and Grizzop crashing into the room. “I’m just saying, if I could teleport everywhere, do you know how much more efficient I would be? Not having to walk between places? Even in my lab, it would save me so much time not to walk from one side of the room to the other! Wizards can really do some handy stuff.”

“I think you’ve got enough on your plate with the alchemy business, “ Grizzop replied. “Maybe all that time walking across the room will help you think about things. Like, I don’t know, what kind of gases to let loose in the air when there are people in the room.”

“It was an accident! And I _ said _ I was sorry!”

“Yeah, well, Zolf’s still hurt, isn’t he?”

“_ Guys, _” Hamid raised his voice to interrupt them. “Is that our lunch?”

“Yeah!” Cel said. “Here you go! Sasha said you’d both like something called eel keesh? I don’t know what that is and the cook at the market had never heard of it, but this maki is really good, if you like fish. Oh- Zolf, do you eat fish? With the whole Poseidon thing?”

“Followers of Poseidon _ do _ eat fish, but I’m not with Poseidon anymore. Maki sounds great though.”

It took some maneuvering once they figured out that Zolf couldn’t actually eat the maki on his own. He couldn’t hold chopsticks and the rolls were too small to be held between his wrapped hands.

After a brief debate, Hamid ended up feeding Zolf. It made both of them flush red, but the maki was much better than anything Zolf had had in days. The first few meals of Zolf’s stay, he’d yelled and cried in frustration at his dependence on other people to feed him, and he’d tried to do it on his own, desperate for autonomy, but he’d quickly learned that, no matter how much he wanted to do things on his own, eating was just not possible without help.

As he fed the sushi to Zolf, Hamid’s eyes caught on his lips as they brushed Hamid’s fingers. Zolf noticed him staring and almost choked, but managed to cover it by clearing his throat.

He would think about what _ that _ meant when he wasn’t in a room filled with his friends.

  
  
  


“Wow, that’s a lot of people,” Sasha said, leaning against the wall behind Azu.

“I know! Oh, I hope he’ll still get to sign all the books,” Azu said, clutching two copies of the new book _ Heart to Starboard _ in her hands.

Sasha looked around the room and saw someone familiar at the front sitting behind a table. “Oi! You!"

Harrison Campbell looked up started, but smiled when he caught sight of the woman who had called out to him. “Miss Racket!” He stood up from his chair and moved towards her. The crowd parted around him in awe. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again!” He grabbed her hand in his in an enthusiastic handshake. “I would hug you, but I’m sure that wouldn’t go over well. How have you been?”

“Alright, you?”

“Better than ever, I’d say! Certainly better than the last time we met!” He smiled at her cheerily, then seemed to notice Azu. “Oh, I’m being terribly rude. Who’s your friend, Sasha?”

“Azu,” Sasha said, nodding towards her. “She’s here to get some book signed.”

“Oh, are you here for the signing? You should have told me!” He turned back to Sasha. “Don’t wait in this long line. Are you free for dinner after this? I’d love to catch up, and I can give you both free signed copies later. Shall we meet in my suite? The hotel has the best room service in all of Scotland.”

“Sure,” Sasha said. “Azu?”

Azu, who had remained silent with her jaw open for the entirety of the conversation, just nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“Great! I’ll see you then. I recommend the pub next door while you wait, if you’d like a pint.”

“Sounds good, mate! Good luck with your thing!” Sasha turned to Azu. “Now we don’t have to wait in that line. You alright?”

Azu shook her head and blinked. “You- you know Harrison Campbell?”

“Yeah, met him on an airship once. Nice bloke. He was a lot more shivery last time I met him.”

“You- he-“

“You sure you’re alright? Here, put those books down, no need to waste money buying them. Let’s go get that drink, yeah?”

Azu nodded, still in shock, and let Sasha guide her out the door.

  


  


Zolf awoke from an afternoon nap to see Hamid sitting next to him filing his nails. When he noticed Zolf was awake, Hamid sat up straight and smiled. “Hey, sleepyhead! I have a surprise for you!” He reached behind him and pulled out three Campbell books: _ When Passions Collide, The Passion of the Sun, _ and _ A Soul’s Desire. _

“That’s- that’s nice, Hamid, but I can’t read them. I still have to keep these bandages on.”

“No, I know. I’m going to read them to you.”

“You’re what?” Zolf blinked. “But you hate Campbell’s novels.”

Hamid smiled at him. “I never said I _ hated _ them. Besides, _ you _ love them. So, pick one.”

Zolf stared at Hamid in awe before clearing his throat. “Um, _ When Passions Collide. _”

Hamid’s smile widened. “That’s your favorite, right?”

“Yeah,” Zolf said. It was the first one he had read, and in the time between leaving his friends in Prague and finding them again in Japan, he had clung to it like a lifeline.

“Well then.” Hamid cleared his throat and put on a dramatic voice. “’Jennifer’s long brown hair blew in the wind behind her as her horse galloped along the ocean shore-‘ I don’t see what’s so funny, Mr. Smith, I’m _ reading _ here.”

Zolf had started laughing at Hamid’s narrator voice and even as he stopped, he was grinning. “By all means, please continue.”

And so Hamid did. He read at Zolf’s bedside for hours, and Zolf didn’t take his eyes off him the entire time. Hearing the words he loved come from Hamid made his heart swell, and to know that Hamid was only reading because he knew Zolf couldn’t made him ache in a way he was unfamiliar with.

He didn’t have much trouble identifying the feeling, though.

He’d never been so in love in his life.

  
  


Sasha stood awkwardly behind the hotel employee as he knocked on the door to Harrison Campbell’s suite. “Mr. Campbell,” he called. “There is a Miss Racket and a Miss Azu here to see you.”

He had looked at Sasha skeptically when she’d said who she was here to see- probably thinking she was another crazed fan, and worse, a _ street rat _ fan- but Campbell had left her name at the front desk, and as soon as he’d realized who she was, he’d been more than accommodating.

The door to the suite swung open. “Sasha! Oh, I’m so glad you came! And Miss Azu, it’s very good to see you. Please, come in,” he stood back and gestured for them to enter. “And Ian, would you mind bringing us another bottle of that cabernet?”

“It would be my pleasure, sir,” Ian said stiffly before turning and walking away.

“Oh, sit down!” Campbell said excitedly. His suite was large, and had a full living room area and a writing desk. Sasha immediately lounged in the loveseat, but Azu stood in the doorway, rocking back in forth on her heels, unable to take her eyes off of Campbell.

“Azu, mate, what are you doing? Come sit down, these cushions are _ much _ comfier than we have back home. I’m going to need to get Wilde to order some for us. Or I’ll ask Hamid to do it.”

Azu walked over to the couch and sat down and Campbell sat in the seat across from them.

“Now, Sasha, how have you been? It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you, and we certainly didn’t meet under the best circumstances last time.”

“Uh- I’ve been alright, you?”

He smiled. “I’ve been doing well, but I hear you’ve been doing much more than _ alright _. You saved the world, dear. I’d call that ‘spectacular,’ at the very least.”

It was Sasha’s turn to feel uncomfortable. “Well, it wasn’t really- _ wait. _” Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Wilde said he kept my name out of all the papers. How did you know about that?”

His eyes sparkled. “Oh, I never saw your name anywhere in the papers, but when they mentioned an unknown woman who lurked in the shadows and I recognized the names of Mr. Smith and Mr. al-Tahan, I put two and two together and deduced who was the unsung hero of the hour. And, Miss Azu, your name was also mentioned,” he said smiling at Azu, who looked like she was about to faint. “Although, most of the papers did mention your striking pink armor, which, I must say, I’m disappointed I haven’t gotten the chance to see myself.”

Azu had chosen to forego the armor in favor of a pink dress with a floral pattern, and Sasha didn’t know how, but she didn’t doubt that Azu could fight as well in in as she could in her armor.

Besides, Azu still had her axe strapped to her back.

“I- thank you, Mr. Campbell,” Azu said. Sasha could barely tell with Azu’s dark skin, but she could have sworn Azu was blushing.

“You’re quite welcome! But, please, call me Harrison. The saviors of the world don’t need to be so formal around me.” He reached over and poured three glasses of wine and passed one to each of them. “Actually, I’m surprised you’re here, Sasha. You didn’t strike me as a romance lover.”

“Oh, I’m not,” she said after gulping down some wine. “Zolf was supposed to be here, but he couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” he said. “I was actually hoping I would see him soon. I don’t suppose you could give him a letter for me?”

“A letter?”

“Yes! You see, Zolf is actually the inspiration for _ Heart to Starboard. _ When you and your friends saved the world, Sasha, everyone had to know _ everything _about you. Who you are, where you’re from, who you’re romancing, it was a mystery the world needed to solve.” He took a sip of hjs wine. “And, well, I must admit, I do love a good pirate romance. Mr. Smith’s time as a pirate, well, it was perfect inspiration. I didn’t copy it completely, of course, that would be a horrid invasion of privacy.”

“Hang on,” Azu said, speaking up for the first time all night. “Your latest love story is about _ Zolf? _ He didn’t tell me he was part of an epic romance.” She looked towards Sasha. “Did you know he had an epic pirate romance?” Sasha shrugged and poured herself more wine.

“Well, it was all very secret, but you know us writers, we have our ways.”

Sasha thought back to all the dirt Oscar Wilde had dug up on them before they’d befriended him and had to agree.

“And, of course, when I found out Mr. Smith had been involved in a whirlwind affair with his captain, well- that’s the stuff of legend, if you ask me.”

“Wait, Zolf is in love with his former pirate captain?” Azu asked, leaning forward. Azu, Sasha had learned, loved gossip as much as she loved romance novels.

“Well, he _ was _,” Campbell said. “I couldn’t possibly speak on his current feelings. But, either way, they died tragically in a battle with another pirate crew.” Azu gasped.

_ Poor Zolf, _Sasha thought.

Campbell seemed to realize he was revealing too much personal information that Azu and Sasha had not known previously about their friend. “I apologize, it’s really none of my business, and, like I said, the novel is only loosely based on them. Regardless, yes, I would like you to deliver a letter to Mr. Smith, if you don’t mind. I write one to the inspiration of every novel I write. I wrote one to Jacoste as well, but they’ll never be able to read it, I’m afraid.”

He took a sip of wine and said, “Well, _ almost _ every inspiration. Mr. McGuffingham didn’t get a _ letter _ so much as a dart board with a sketch of his face on it. Oh, I’m sorry, Sasha, I know he was your friend.”

“_ No, he really wasn’t, _” Sasha insisted. “Do you still have that dart board? I’d like to throw my entire collection of daggers at it.”

Campbell roared with laughter. “Oh, we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but I must agree it’s a fun past time.”

Sasha grinned.

“We would be happy to give Zolf the letter,” Azu said.

“Yeah, what she said.”

“Oh, thank you!”

There was a knock on the door and Campbell stood up to open it to reveal Ian with another bottle of wine. “Ah, yes! Perfect timing, we just finished the last one. Thank you, Ian!”

He closed the door and grabbed the wine opener. “Actually, Sasha,” he said, twisting the cork. “I should ask you while I have you here. I’ve been thinking about branching out.”

“Branching out?” she asked, gulping down the last of the wine in her glass so he could pour some more.

“Yes, in my writing. I’ve written a dozen romance novels, but lately I’ve been thinking- not every book _ has _ to have a romance you know.”

Azu looked scandalized for a moment, but nodded to cover it up.

“Zolf’s life gave me inspiration, yes, but I must admit that there’s something equally inspiring about your own life. Now, I don’t know nearly as much about you, but… I’m thinking about writing about a girl from Other London finding a family and becoming the world’s best unsung heroine.” He paused and looked at her directly. “Would that be alright, do you think?”

Sasha felt tears well up in her eyes and her throat was tight, but she swallowed and pushed past it. “You- you want to write about me?”

“Yes, I do,” he leaned forward, very serious. “I know you like your privacy, and I promise I would keep everything hidden behind names and the glamour of fiction. But I admire you, Sasha. You’ve done so much for the world, and I would love if my next heroine could be anything like you.”

Sasha felt one of the tears escape past her control down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly, trying (and failing) to play it off like a bug had flown in her eye. “Yeah that’d- that’d be alright, I think.”

She looked away from Campbell’s kind gaze and met Azu’s instead. She was smiling and she looked _ proud. _ Sasha squirmed under the unfamiliar feeling. Pride was not something she was used to.

“Thank you, Sasha,” Harrison said. “Now, what do you have planned for the rest of your stay in Edinburgh?”

The rest of the night passed quickly, and Sasha found herself enjoying it more than she had expected to. Maybe it was the fourth bottle of wine.

As she and Azu got up to return to their hotel, Harrison handed them two books, one with an envelope inside the cover. “For you and Mr. Smith, Azu.” He winked at Sasha. “I know I couldn’t get you to read one of my books if I tried.”

She hugged him very quickly and stepped back before he could even reciprocate. “Maybe the night one. Night, mate.”

She turned and walked quickly down the hallway, letting Azu linger with her own goodbyes. She felt another renegade tear drop down her face, and she brushed it away before entering the stairwell and heading back to her room.

  
  
  


“Alright, Zolf, are you ready to get these wraps off?” Anya asked.

“Yes, finally,” he groaned. He’d been useless for over a week with the wraps around his hands and arms.

“Now, remember,” she said as she began to unwrap them. “You still have to do the exercises I taught you every day, and you still can’t leave, but you’ll have a bit more freedom of movement.”

“Yeah, well I’m still bedridden,” he grumbled.

Anya rolled her eyes, used to his grouchiness. “You haven’t been bedridden for two days now. You even went on a picnic yesterday with your friends. We just wanted you here to keep an eye on your arms and make sure they didn’t get worse.”

“Yeah, well, I still can’t leave, can I?”

She sighed. She’d heard this argument almost every time she’d come in to see him the past week. “You can leave in a couple days, Zolf, assuming your wounds are healed by then. In the meantime,” she said, crumpling up the last wrap in her hands, “Enjoy having your arms back. Now, let’s do some wrist circles to start with. Left wrist first.”

Zolf obliged and walked through the exercises with her. After she had left, Hamid entered the room, grinning.

“How does it feel to have your arms back?”

“Good,” Zolf said. “Now if I could just have my own bed back, and my flat and my personal space-“ Hamid’s face dropped. “No, I didn’t mean- I didn’t mean _ you _ . I just mean- it’s _ constant, _you know?”

Hamid smiled sadly. “Yeah, I know. But, hey, in the meantime, you can read on your own while I do my nails.” He brandished another Campbell novel and Zolf took it, smiling as he ran his fingers over the worn spine.

“Thanks, Hamid,” he said, opening to the page where they’d left off reading earlier that morning.

“You’re welcome,” Hamid said, taking a seat next to his bed and pulling out a shimmery purple-green color from a bag of holding he had stashed away.

They sat like that for a while, enjoying each other’s company in peace, when Cel and Grizzop burst in through the door.

“Hey, Zolf- oh, your arms are free!” Cel said, running to his bed and grabbing his hand. “And look, the burns don’t even look that bad!”

“Thanks, Cel,” he laughed.

“Oh, Hamid, you’re doing your nails, huh?” They looked down at their own nails, which had once been covered in glittery bronze paint, but were now chipped almost bare.

“Would you like me to do yours?” Hamid asked, smiling kindly. “Mine are almost dry, and I don’t mind.”

They grinned. “Yeah, that’d be great! Although, purple isn't really my color.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I have more.” He opened his bag of holding to show a whole bag of different colors and Cel’s eyes lit up as they dug through, picking out occasional colors and shaking their head. They pulled out a navy color and grinned at Grizzop. “Hey, this would look good on you!”

Grizzop squinted at the bottle. “You’re right. Mind doing mine, Hamid?”

“Of course not!” Grizzop sat in the chair across from Hamid and held out a hand for Hamid to paint as Cel continued looking for a good color.

“Aha!” they yelled ten minutes later as Grizzop’s nails were drying. They pulled out two bottles of nail polish: a gold and a black.

“_ Oh _, a crackle,” Hamid said, his eyes lighting up. “Nice choice.”

“Zolf, I also found this for you!” Cel said, brandishing a deep green bottle.

“Would you like me to do your nails green, Zolf?” Hamid asked, a smile teasing his lips. He was joking, but Zolf looked down at his hands, newly free from the wraps, and nodded. “Oh! Okay, sure! I’ll do Cel’s first layer and then yours.”

Cel sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Hamid. They still came up to his full height, even though he was in a chair. They offered one of their hands to him and began chatting about their newest invention as Hamid painted a gold coat onto their nails. When they were finished, Hamid got up and moved his chair closer to Zolf.

He reached for Zolf’s hand, carefully, and they both blushed as their hands made contact, but Hamid pushed forward and began applying a deep green coat of paint.

“Hey, that matches Hamid’s!” Cel said, and Hamid and Zolf looked at their joint hands and turned dark red.

Zolf’s dark green nails perfectly commented the green shimmer in Hamid’s. Hamid cleared his throat and looked over to Cel, then paused. “Cel! You smeared your nails!”

“Sorry! I just meant to brush a bug off my shirt, I didn’t mean to-“

“No, it’s okay,” he reassured them. “I’ll just redo that hand. Try not to smear any more while they’re drying, okay?”

“Aye, aye, captain,” they said, saluting him. He saw a bit of paint get stuck on their forehead and sighed.

“I’ll just prestidigitate them so they can’t smear them,” Hamid said under his breath and Zolf grinned. “There,” he said, looking up at Zolf. “Let those dry and I’ll apply a clear coat in a bit.”

“Thanks, Hamid,” he said, looking down at his hands. He’d never worn nail polish before, but he liked matching his friends- matching _ Hamid _ in particular.

Hamid’s returning smile was soft. “You’re welcome, Zolf,” he said quietly, then turned and grabbed the clear bottle. “Okay, Grizzop, let me do your clear coat now.”

  
  
  


It was two more days before Zolf was let out of the temple, and another day before Azu and Sasha returned home. When they did, everyone was surprised to be greeted with swift but tight hugs from Sasha and an understanding smile from Azu.

Zolf was even more surprised when she gave him not only a signed copy of _ Heart to Starboard _, but also a written letter from the author himself. “He- he wrote me a letter?”

“Yeah, something about being his inspiration? I don’t really know, I’m sure the letter explains it.” Sasha bit her lip. “Look, Zolf- thank you for- well, everything.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Everything?”

“Yeah, I just- things would be really different if you hadn’t helped me in the crowd that day, so- thanks.” She looked at the floor, clearly uncomfortable with showing emotion, but she looked up when he started talking.

“You’re welcome. Honestly, Sasha, we’re more grateful for you than you could ever be for us.”

She hugged him again, then turned and went into her room. Sasha could probably also do with some alone time, he thought as he walked into his own room with the book. And a letter just for _ him. _Gods.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, set the book aside, and took the letter out of the envelope.

_ Dear Mr. Smith, _

_ This might seem a bit strange to you, as we’ve never had a real conversation, but I hear your voice in my head every day. The closest we’ve come is our altercation on the airship and, well, I won’t hold the actions of your companion against you. _

_ I would like to extend my gratitude to you. You saved the world, and I am entirely appreciative, but beyond that, I have gained a deep appreciation for the life you have lived, and I am more than grateful that you have lived it. The world is indebted to you, Mr. Smith, and I even more so. Your life has given me my best inspiration. I hope you won’t mind that I loved the stories people told of you so much that I wrote them down. I realize you might consider this an invasion of privacy, but you are a hero, Mr. Smith, and heroes have never had much privacy. _

_ I also realize I may have taken some liberties with your life, but as I was writing the story of Anson and Blythe, I could not bring myself to give them the same fate that you and your captain met. They deserve a happy ending, just as you and your captain did. I am sorry that you could not find it with them, but I hope more than anything that you do find it someday, in the midst of a new adventure. Perhaps you already have, and my gossip circles have failed me. _

_ I hope, Mr. Smith, that your journeys bring you joy. Should you find yourself in London again, please call upon me. I would love to meet with you and your companions under less hostile circumstances. _

_ Yours in eternal gratitude, _

_ Harrison Campbell _

Zolf set the letter down, his hands shaking, and burst into sobs, his whole body shuddering with the force of them. It was an hour before he stopped, and as soon as he did, he picked up a quill and a piece of parchment and started writing a response.

  
  
  
  


At dinner that night, they were all happy to be back together. Even Wilde, who was as shocked by Sasha’s hug as the rest of them, was enjoying himself more than usual.

Zolf was biting into a slice of bread when Grizzop threw a piece of food at Sasha, who threw a knife back. Hamid started yelling about _ manners at the dinner table _ , and Zolf leaned back in his chair and laughed. _ Gods, _ he was so lucky to have them.

His eyes, as always, were drawn to Hamid, and he thought, maybe he didn’t need a pirate romance after all. Even if Hamid never returned Zolf’s feelings, it didn’t mean that his love for Hamid wasn’t good or worthwhile. And even if his destiny was to pine away forever, Zolf would still be content, because he would get to spend every day here, with these people, with _ Hamid _, and he’d be genuinely happy.

  
  
  
  


Of course, Zolf’s story didn’t end there. He didn’t know it at the time, but Hamid did feel the same. Hamid may or may not have read the pirate novel on his own (he’d grown oddly fond of them in the time he spent reading them to Zolf), and he may or may not have gotten jealous over this secret pirate love he heard Azu talking about. And he may or may not have expressed his jealousy to his friends and they may or may not have told Hamid to get his act together and Hamid may or may not have kissed Zolf in a way Harrison Campbell wished he could emulate in words. But that’s for another story.

_ fin. _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading over this, Bri!!
> 
> And thank you, wonderful cowards, for giving me ideas when I had none. 
> 
> (Connor aren't you glad I made the dni server now?)


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